Databases and search engines for obtaining information related to salaries, cost of living, and employee benefits for a variety of geographical locations are known. Users can access such databases by submitting an inquiry that includes, for example, a selected industry, a selected job or position within the industry, and a geographical location. The search engine returns a range of salaries corresponding to the user's inquiry. In one conventional arrangement, the database and search engine are stored on a computer-readable medium, such as a CD, which is directly accessible to the user by loading the CD into the user's computer.
One problem with some existing databases and search engines is that the information returned by the search engine may be generic. Accordingly, it may be difficult for users to obtain specific information about the company and the job or position corresponding to the information stored in the database. Another problem is that it can be expensive to assemble the data and provide the search engine. When this expense is passed on to the user, the number of users willing to pay for the search may be limited. Still another problem is that it may be difficult and/or expensive to update the database frequently enough to keep up with rapidly changing information.
The Internet is increasingly being used to conduct searches and “electronic commerce,” in part, because it facilitates electronic communications between vendors and purchasers. The Internet comprises a vast number of computers and computer networks interconnected through communication channels. Electronic commerce refers generally to commercial transactions at least partially conducted using the computer systems of the parties to the transactions. For example, a purchaser can use a personal computer to connect via the Internet to a vendor's computer. The purchaser can then interact with the vendor's computer to conduct the transaction. Although many of the commercial transactions that are performed today could be performed via electronic commerce, the acceptance and wide-spread use of electronic commerce depends, in large part, upon the ease-of-use of conducting such electronic commerce and upon creating new opportunities previously unavailable. For example, if electronic commerce can be easily conducted, then even the novice computer user will choose to engage in electronic commerce. Therefore, it is important that techniques be developed to facilitate conducting electronic commerce.
The Internet facilitates conducting electronic commerce, in part, because it uses standardized techniques for exchanging information. Many standards have been established for exchanging information over the Internet, such as electronic mail, Gopher, and the World Wide Web (“WWW”). The WWW service allows a server computer system (i.e., web server or web site) to send graphical web pages of information to a remote client computer system. The remote client computer system can then display the web pages. Each resource (e.g., computer or web page) of the WWW is uniquely identifiable by a Uniform Resource Locator (“URL”). To view a specific web page, a client computer system specifies the URL for that web page in a request (e.g., a HyperText Transfer Protocol (“HTTP”) request). The request is forwarded to the web server that supports that web page. When that web server receives the request, it sends the requested web page to the client computer system. When the client computer system receives that web page, it typically displays the web page using a browser. A browser is typically a special-purpose application program for requesting and displaying web pages.
Currently, web pages are often defined using HyperText Markup Language (“HTML”). HTML provides a standard set of tags that defines how a web page is to be displayed. When a user makes a request to the browser to display a web page, the browser sends the request to the server computer system to transfer to the client computer system an HTML document that defines the web page. When the requested HTML document is received by the client computer system, the browser displays the web page as defined by the HTML document. The HTML document contains various tags that control the display of text, graphics, controls, and other features. The HTML document may contain URLs of other web pages available on that server computer system or on other server computer systems.
The World Wide Web portion of the Internet is especially conducive to conducting electronic commerce. Many web servers have been developed through which vendors can advertise and sell products. The products can include items (e.g., music) that are delivered electronically to the purchaser over the Internet and items (e.g., books) that are delivered through conventional distribution channels (e.g., a common carrier). A server computer system may provide an electronic version of a catalog that lists the items available. A user, who is a potential purchaser, may browse through the catalog using a browser and select various items to be purchased. When the user has finished selecting the items to be purchased, the server computer system then prompts the user for information to complete the ordering of the items. This purchaser-specific order information may include the purchaser's name, the purchaser's credit card number, and a shipping address for the order. The server computer system then typically confirms the order by sending a confirming web page to the client computer system, and schedules shipment of the items.
Although the Internet provides the features described above, these features have not addressed the foregoing problems associated with searching and accessing economic databases. Accordingly, there exists a need for a system that addresses those problems.